[2000-05-06-WWF-Insurrextion] Eddy Guerrero vs Chris Jericho

[soup23]

Jericho and Eddy do not seem to have that many long form matches in WWF and this seems like a match that can tie a bow on the Chyna storyline with both. Eddy gets a hell of a reaction coming out and the Latino Heat music is rocking. Jericho saying the British vernacular was funny. Eddy loses the coin toss so his European title is on the line. Eddy tries to bail and Chyna pushes him back in. Jericho really dominates the early going until the action spills outside and Chyna hits a clothesline on Jericho. Eddy takes over the match now but gets caught on the top rope. That is short lived as Eddy really brings the attack on the back of Jericho. A lot of lucha submissions including a Gory Special. Eddy is able to get a nasty rana to the outside. Jericho is able to roll in first only to be hit by a Chyna DDT that gives Eddy a real close nearfall. Chyna is arguing with the ref and gets dropkicked by Jericho but runs right into the European title for the pinfall victory for Eddy. Fun match. ***1/4

[GSR]

A pre-match coin flip determines that Eddy’s European championship will be on the line tonight. Jericho gets the better of the opening salvo, finishing up by clotheslining Guerrero over the top rope and to the outside. It looks like he’s had enough of this already, heading up the aisle and to the dressing room, when Chyna grabs him and pushes him back towards the ring. He lands a boot to the mid-section and a quick powerslam for two. Whip to the corner, but as he runs at Jericho, Y2J elevates him up and over, sending him crashing into the turnbuckles. A series of hard knife edge chops, a suplex, and Jericho tries to pin his opponent with a single foot on the chest. Spinning heel kick sends Eddy tumbling to the floor. He avoids the baseball slide, but Y2J then chases him around ringside only to get blindsided by a Chyna clothesline. Guerrero heads upstairs, however he’s too slow on the climb and is joined by Jericho who hits a suicideplex. Eddy sidesteps a lariat in the corner and unloads with elbows and a cracking uppercut. After sitting Y2J on the top turnbuckle, he brings him back down with a huracanrana. Gori special dropped into a pin, before they run through a series of counters and reversals (the Guerrero/Malenko stuff). Abdominal stretch by Eddy and Jericho’s able to power his way out of it. Guerrero then counters the powerbomb with a lovely sunset flip for a near fall. Inverted Gori special, but Y2J is able to reverse the hold and apply it to Eddy. As Guerrero clambers his way up onto Jericho’s shoulders, Y2J slams him face first to the canvas. Neither a bulldog nor a flying forearm are able to get the job done as Eddy kicks out at two after both. Jericho is again looking for that powerbomb, but this time Eddy with a headscissors taking them both over the top rope and to the arena floor. As the official checks to make sure he’s okay, Y2J crawls back into the ring, and sensing an opportunity, Chyna drops him with a DDT. Yes! It’s not the finish this time as Jericho is able to raise a shoulder. Double powerbomb, Lionsault, but Chyna is on the apron distracting referee Tim White. Springboard dropkick to Chyna, however Eddy grabs the European belt that she’d just thrown into the ring, KO’s Y2J with it and retains the title.

 

Third good match between these two in the space of a month and some lovely smooth stuff here such as the sunset flip counter to the powerbomb and the Gori specials. Crowd were much more into this than Benoit/Angle which makes me think the reaction to that one had to be down to the ‘heel vs heel’ dynamic. Eddy with the pin cementing his position at the top of the upper/mid-card position.